New Surveyor Buyers Beware

scweaver · 09-14-2010, 10:41 PM

Let me start off by saying I love my Surveyor would not trade it for any other TT out there. But I want to warn anyone about to purchase one of their products that you absolutely better thoroughly inspect everything right away and make sure you get it fixed promptly. I purchased a new SV-294 in July of 2009. In November I had taken it to the dealer to be winterized and had a couple items I need to have addressed. First off my awning was out of adjustment, I broke my thumb trying to release the support beams, the pins that hold the awning out and extended were too short the awning got bumped and dropped all the way down and knocked my son off his feet. Of which I was charged $95.00 to adjust the awning. Then this year when I took it out the brakes came apart on one of the axles. Fortunately it did not do any damage the spring that attaches the shoes together came off and the adjustment pin and a guide pin where laying in the bottom of the drum. My high quality concertone radio makes a loud humming noise in 3-4 second bursts when I turn it on. So today I called Forest River and was told sorry your out of warranty. I find that when you purchase something of this nature especially when your spending the kind of money these things cost I would like to know that the company you are purchsing from will stand behind their product. Again let me state that it is a great product we love it, however the people that run Forest River or least their Surveyor division, have a severe lack of integrity. Also do not expect them to return your calls!

LadyWindrider · 09-14-2010, 11:16 PM

Sorry for your misfortune and problems. I see you have been here a while, but I want to point something out to you. Forrest River had nothing to do with the problems you encountered. They did not make the axles the brakes fell off of. They do not make the concertone system, nor do they make the awning.

You mentioned you purchased a New trailer in July of 2009, but was it a 2009 model or a leftover. I have found "new" 2006 models on dealer lots recently. You also mentioned that you called Forrest River TODAY, and was told "out of warranty". I'm not surprised, since your trailer is at least 14 months old, but then you end your post with, "don't expect them to return your calls". Isn't his a little confusing for those of us miles away? You got an answer that you were out of warranty the same day you made the call?

Just a few observations from your post. I mean no disrespect, and I have my problems also, but make sure you aim before you pull the trigger.

crocus · 09-15-2010, 07:20 AM

" I broke my thumb trying to release the support beams"
I am unsure how that is FR's fault.

" the pins that hold the awning out and extended were too short the awning got bumped and dropped all the way down"
Is it possible that you didn't have the lock pins in their proper place, and that may have caused the awning to drop?

Sometimes many complaints come from owner mistakes, and they are just looking for a scapegoat. I am not saying that is the case in this instance, but saying that FR has a "severe lack of integrity" because of what you experienced may be a bit harsh.
Awnings are especially prone to problems as they are not built very strong, and are subject to many things that can put them out of adjustment. Owners have to be alert to all of the issues that may arise with their units.

scweaver · 09-15-2010, 07:21 AM

Windrider, all your points are valid. Maybe I am simply looking at this wrong. I guess I was looking at this like when I purchase a car. If I bought a new car and the brake assembly fell apart I would take it to the dealer, if it was the pads being worn out I would be responsible as they are considered a "wearable part" however if they simply just fell apart I would assume the dealer would fix it. Just like the radio. When we bought our Aspen, there were all sorts of problems with the navigation system so I simply took it back to Chrysler and they replaced the head unit, problem fixed, they did not tell me to go to whomever manufactured the radio. I am quite confident that Forest River did not simply push the price of these through to me, as any business I am sure there is profit margin built into those parts which makes them their responsibility.

Thank you also for pointing out the confusion in they have not called me back; I should have clarified that I asked to speak to a supervisor after the woman, who was very polite, on the phone told me there is nothing they can do. It is the supervisor whom I have yet to hear from.

It is a 2010 model, I took delivery of it the day after the dealer picked it up from the factory. So yes you are correct it is 13 months old, I joined her a couple months prior to purchasing to get a feel of what was out there. I do appreciate you bringing another perspective to it, maybe my issue is not with Forest River maybe it is the entire industry! I guess I would just like to believe that these manufacturers have enough confidence in their products that they would stand behind them for more than 12 months. Being in the north it is very frustrating when you consider I picked it up end of July and used it until November put in storage until late April and have these problems and get that kind of response from the manufacturer.

Again I do appreacite your comments as I stated above I love the product and we are actually discussing buying the larger one we originally wanted in a year or two when we purhase a larger TV. Your reply helps me to realize it is an industry issue not Forest River, except for the supervisor not calling me back :-)!

scweaver · 09-15-2010, 07:27 AM

Crocus, no the awning handles were locked. The pins were too short and had to be replaced! I broke my thumb pushing on the black locking tab, obviously too hard. I am not looking for a scapegoat. Trust I have also done some stupid things with this being our first trailer I have personally owned, I would not post on a general forum someting that I know good and well is my own fault. Paying the $95.00 to adjust the awning is not going to break me financially, I paid it last year when I had it winterized. My issue is that to me it is a matter on principle. The was 3 1/2 months old at the time. Thanks for commenting though, I appreciate all the feedback. Like I said to windrider sometimes it makes you feel better if you hear from others that you are over-reacting!

crocus · 09-15-2010, 07:35 AM

Fair enough. We all would like to believe that for 25 or 35 thousand dollars we are going to get a perfect product, but the reality is that these things are built pretty cheaply. I had a 1995 cobra Sunrise that was built like a tank, but that was a long time ago. Unfortunately, we have to live with what we got. Unless we are willing to pay a lot more, I am afraid we will have to put up with problems, and we have to be very careful to maintain them to an extreme.
Look on the bright side, at least you don't have some of the horrendous problems others have experiened.

SaskCampers · 09-15-2010, 08:16 AM

I feel for your issues and I understand your frustration. I believe the dealer could help you with this by acting as a go between with FR for you and if the dealer really cared they would at the very least try. I ran into this kind of thing with our current truck as it has been in for warranty repairs so many times I contacted Chrysler Canada and with the aide of the service manager here who I had them call while talking to me, Chrysler extended the bumper to bumper warranty from the factory 60,000km to 100,000km and have honored the verbal agreement to the letter as our truck since that call has accumulated over $10,000 in repairs. IMO I would seriously sit down with your service manager and discuss your issues in a calm and courteous manner and see if they can assist you with FR helping you out, at this point you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by at least trying.

slpybeartx · 09-15-2010, 11:10 AM

SCWeaver, tell me what you like about the 304... This is the trailer model that we are seriously thinking of upgrading too.

granite · 09-15-2010, 12:08 PM

Forest River Manuf. chooses the materials, equipment, and appliances they sell us. Yes, they need choose more carefully or demand better workmanship from their suppliers. We as consumers also have a responsibility to let FR and other consumers know what needs improvement, so I appreciate your post. Hope that thumb healed up properly.

LadyWindrider · 09-15-2010, 12:55 PM

SCWEAVER,

thanks for approaching this thing with an open mind. I hate you had trouble, and I hate any of us have trouble, but it seems we do. I realize also that all parts of a car aren't made by the manufacturer, yet they do warranty on all of the, most of the time. The RV industry is a a little different, and we have let them get away with what we have. I do think the dealer should have to warrant the whole trailer, but I was told that all mt appliances would be warranted by the "appliance" manufacturer, and not Forrest River. It's just something we have to live with for now, and the only way to change it is with PATIENCE, phone calls, and complaints. Good luck and happy camping.

scweaver · 09-15-2010, 02:22 PM

Thanks everyone for the feedback, I realize this thread could have been a time bomb. Like I said I love the product and would buy it again. It is just frustrating when companies don't stand behind their products.

Slpybeartx, the real difference between mine and the SV 304 is the 304 has the super slide and it is 3 or 4 feet longer. It is simply amazing the difference between the super slide and the short slide we have. The cabin seems twice as big as ours. The seating configuration if a little different also. Other than that the front and back are exactly the same. Another thing I have found is that unlike car companies they will switch items mid model, I would guess it is simply and inventory issue. For example if I were to buy a 304 I would not buy an early 2009 the late 2009 has the same entertainment center as mine, it spins around and you mount a flat panel in it and you have a door on both sides to get into the front bedroom, the early 304 the entertainment center is offset and there is only one door into the bedroom the space for the television is designed for the older box style tvs you could probably put a 26" in it, ours has a 32" and you could probably get a 37" if it is thin enough. The other reason I like that configuration is when the doors are both open it again seems roomier there is better light flow and it just does not seem boxed in. There really was not enough of a price difference between the two that we bought the 294 on price, it simply came down to the Aspen we haul with. Hindsight I should have bit the bullet and upgraded the tow vehicle and bought the SV-304 the loss I would have taken on the car would probably pale in comparison to the bath I will take on the trailer next year when we get a new tow vehicle should decide that we really need the extra space ( which we don't :-) )! I get your concern because with your unit you have the bunks but the double on bottom and one on top. Like you we have 3 kids also so I opted for the bunkhouse. Sadly for you all you will pick up with a 294 is the extra beds. I am not sure what your 1500 is rated for but I have an Aspen and I have a Hensley hitch and it pulls the trailer with no problem. Power is not the issue for me, if I had more wheelbase I would not have thought twice about the 304!

SaskCampers · 09-15-2010, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by windrider

SCWEAVER,

thanks for approaching this thing with an open mind. I hate you had trouble, and I hate any of us have trouble, but it seems we do. I realize also that all parts of a car aren't made by the manufacturer, yet they do warranty on all of the, most of the time. The RV industry is a a little different, and we have let them get away with what we have. I do think the dealer should have to warrant the whole trailer, but I was told that all mt appliances would be warranted by the "appliance" manufacturer, and not Forrest River. It's just something we have to live with for now, and the only way to change it is with PATIENCE, phone calls, and complaints. Good luck and happy camping.

You got me thinking when you stated the above so I asked my service manager and here is what she said.

Hello John,

Great question…one that actually not a lot of people ask! Forest River looks after the majority of Warranty items but anything that has to do with Appliances/Fabric/Sofa Bladder normally goes through the Manufacturer of that item. However, we of course are the go between for all Warranty issues! Hope that answers your question!!

dezolen · 09-15-2010, 08:50 PM

If you have a Hensley hitch even with the Aspen I would have bought the longer trailer. Sure it would have towed fine. See what they tow with in Europe. This wheelbase hangup really erks me.
PS If the auto manufacturers acted like the RV manufacturers they would have been long out of business. This fluffing off warantee repairs due to the fact they use suppliers for most parts and blaming them is BS.

scweaver · 09-15-2010, 11:48 PM

dezolen, i almost wish I would have. Although our kids are in there early teens so once they have enough of us :-) we have already talked about going the route of a 5th wheel.

TheSasks, there is something to say about buying it locally, we bought ours from a dealer about 300 miles away from home. We saved almost $4000 however the dealer that services it is not where I purchased it. I imagine I would have better luck with my issues had I of bought it from the dealer that does the service on it.

amarettl3 · 09-16-2010, 12:42 AM

We all would like to believe that for 25 or 35 thousand dollars we are going to get a perfect product, but the reality is that these things are built pretty cheaply

What about the Titanic, that cost a lot to built, but it still sank due to the rivets failing after it hit an iceberg...what about the space shuttle challenger? disintegrated due to the heat shield failing, correct me if I'm wrong on this. the toyota recalls...I mean in my opinion, anything man made are bound to fail, some has a lower rate of failure, but I haven't seen anything man made that has a 0% failure rate...I just saw this documentary on a cruise ship being built, it cost a billion dollar and when they put it on the water, it was leaking...imagine the owner saying, for a billion dollar, I expect this ship to be perfect...which I don't think he said anyways. at least not on camera.

macbwt · 09-16-2010, 05:11 AM

Warranty program issues are FR's weakest link. One year warranty is money in the bank for FR. Many purchasers only use the TT for 6 months. The consumers can make the change. RVIA on the other hand is just a bunch of folks patting them selves on the back for doing nothing. If they truly wanted good standards they would make them more stringent. One year warranty my daughters 60 dollar bike has a one year warranty!!!

dezolen · 09-16-2010, 05:54 AM

And if the tires fail go to xxx to get warrantee work,
If the pedals break go to YYY
If the frame breaks go to WWW
If the rims are faulty go to CCC
Only if this was an RV .

crocus · 09-16-2010, 07:50 AM

FR offers the second year warranty for cheap, just got mine for $150. So people shouldn't complain about 'only' having a one-year warranty.
Two years should be enough time to find most defects.

scweaver · 09-16-2010, 01:48 PM

Crocus, that is the first I heard of that. I would have purchased that had I of known about it. Was it something you had to do at time of purchase or were you able to add it on at a later date. My brother bought a Wildwood also a FR product and he had not heard of that either, and he is on his 3rd FR product. Good to know for the future!

slpybeartx · 09-16-2010, 02:45 PM

Sorry, I thought I read where you had an SV304... I guess I misread SV-294 for SV-304.

We love our 291, but are ready to move up to a full size slide and get the 304.

Quote:

Originally Posted by scweaver

Thanks everyone for the feedback, I realize this thread could have been a time bomb. Like I said I love the product and would buy it again. It is just frustrating when companies don't stand behind their products.

Slpybeartx, the real difference between mine and the SV 304 is the 304 has the super slide and it is 3 or 4 feet longer. It is simply amazing the difference between the super slide and the short slide we have. The cabin seems twice as big as ours. The seating configuration if a little different also. Other than that the front and back are exactly the same. Another thing I have found is that unlike car companies they will switch items mid model, I would guess it is simply and inventory issue. For example if I were to buy a 304 I would not buy an early 2009 the late 2009 has the same entertainment center as mine, it spins around and you mount a flat panel in it and you have a door on both sides to get into the front bedroom, the early 304 the entertainment center is offset and there is only one door into the bedroom the space for the television is designed for the older box style tvs you could probably put a 26" in it, ours has a 32" and you could probably get a 37" if it is thin enough. The other reason I like that configuration is when the doors are both open it again seems roomier there is better light flow and it just does not seem boxed in. There really was not enough of a price difference between the two that we bought the 294 on price, it simply came down to the Aspen we haul with. Hindsight I should have bit the bullet and upgraded the tow vehicle and bought the SV-304 the loss I would have taken on the car would probably pale in comparison to the bath I will take on the trailer next year when we get a new tow vehicle should decide that we really need the extra space ( which we don't :-) )! I get your concern because with your unit you have the bunks but the double on bottom and one on top. Like you we have 3 kids also so I opted for the bunkhouse. Sadly for you all you will pick up with a 294 is the extra beds. I am not sure what your 1500 is rated for but I have an Aspen and I have a Hensley hitch and it pulls the trailer with no problem. Power is not the issue for me, if I had more wheelbase I would not have thought twice about the 304!

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